Ex-Duke Basketball Forward Experiences Instant NCAAT Exit

Former two-year Duke basketball starter Mark Mitchell saw his junior campaign end in his home state.

Former Duke basketball forward Mark Mitchell / Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

For the second season in a row, Mark Mitchell was on a team that lost to a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament. On Thursday night, the former Duke basketball talent and his No. 6 seed Missouri Tigers (22-12) fell to the Drake Bulldogs (31-3), 67-57, in their West Regional Round of 64 clash in Wichita.

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Mitchell, a former five-star recruit from Kansas City, Kan., who was part of Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer's first recruiting class and served as a full-time starter in each of his seasons with the Blue Devils, tallied eight points, eight rebounds, two assists, and one steal in his team-high 35 minutes as a starter versus the Bulldogs.

The 21-year-old entered the NCAA Tournament averaging 14.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game this season.

This is not the first time that Mitchell has played only one game in an NCAA Tournament. As a freshman in 2023, he sustained a knee injury the day before the No. 5 seed Blue Devils faced No. 4 seed Tennessee in the Round of 32. Mitchell sat out the contest, and Duke basketball fell, 65-52.

Last season, Mark Mitchell and the No. 4 seed Blue Devils reached the Elite Eight before suffering a 76-64 upset loss at the hands of No. 11 seed NC State.

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